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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25005622">starve a cold, feed a fever</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyofdionysus/pseuds/enbyofdionysus'>enbyofdionysus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the self-indulgent fics [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Frank Zhang, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Camping, Knotting, Love Confessions, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multiple Orgasms, Omega Percy Jackson, Prostate Milking, brief moment where Frank starts to turn into an animal, first heat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:00:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25005622</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyofdionysus/pseuds/enbyofdionysus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank Zhang has been doing his best to hide his crush on Percy Jackson. Of course, the goddess of love has other plans. When Percy gets his first heat in the middle of a quest there's only one thing Frank can do, and it involves spilling more than just his secret.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson/Frank Zhang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the self-indulgent fics [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/908256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>310</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Plot spoilers for The Tyrant's Tomb.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Frank knows something’s off even before his water bottle explodes.</p><p>He and Percy are camped out in the forest somewhere in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. They'll head to Crescent City in the morning to retrieve a goblet for the goddess Venus before making their way back to Camp Jupiter, their quest fulfilled. For now, they're camping by a set of coastal redwoods a mile away from the nearest bike trail.</p><p>Frank is taking first watch, the stars shining bright above him in a myriad of constellations. It's mostly quiet save for a few squirrels scuttling around in the underbrush. He's counting stars in the constellation Cygnus when he smells something… out of place. </p><p>Frank tilts his head back to get a better scent. </p><p>There’s a chance it’s nothing, that it’s plants blooming somewhere in the distance in the summer heat. A memory flashes through his mind at the scent: Dakota with a toothy grin and a sly look in his eye as they walked down a nasty-smelling street together. </p><p>"<em>Cum trees</em>," Dakota had said, like he was sharing a disgusting secret. </p><p>But Pyrus calleryana isn't growing anywhere near their camp, and it isn't a foul smell. It’s a clean, musky scent. It gets a little stronger every breath Frank takes. He gets a little wary when the scent starts to make his skin flush and his jaw tighten. </p><p>For a brief moment, Frank reaches down to his pocket to check his piece of firewood, but it's only instinct. He used his firewood in the Caldecott Tunnel in his battle with Caligula. Still, Frank doesn't know if he'll ever be able to stop reaching for it.</p><p>Eyes darting around in the darkness, Frank wonders if the scent might be from monsters nearby. It isn't uncommon for monsters to use familiar scents to lure demigods away, for monsters to use the scent of—</p><p>
  <em> The scent of—</em>
</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Frank stops taking deep breaths of the scent and covers his face with his hands. <em> Fuck</em>, he thinks, and then says out loud, "<em>Fuck</em>." Because he <em> knows </em> what that smell is.</p><p>The confirmation of it comes in the form of his reusable water bottle rattling on the ground beside him. Frank stares at it for a moment, two, and then jumps when the cap explodes off of it and the bottle <em> shoots </em> off into the underbrush. </p><p>There's the faintest of sounds from the tent behind him. </p><p>Frank glances at the tent and away, ears red. His fists tighten at his sides. <em> Don't be a baby</em>, he thinks, <em> he's your friend and he needs you</em>. But the thought <em> he needs you </em> sends a shiver down Frank's spine. </p><p>Just outside the tent, Frank wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans. He asks, gently, "Uh, Percy? Are you okay?"</p><p>There's shuffling inside the tent. In a defeated-sounding voice, Percy says, "I don't think so."</p><p>Frank's pulse jumps. He asks, "Can I come in?"</p><p>There's a moment of silence. "Yeah," Percy says at last. "Just don't… Just don't judge, okay?"</p><p>Frank frowns. Judging isn't his style. As he tugs on the zipper of the tent, Percy's scent escapes in a wave of pheromones that promise warmth, home, comfort, <em> sex</em>. Frank feels his fangs drop. He sucks in his lips to hide them as he opens the flap of the tent and steps in.</p><p>Frank isn't really sure what he expected. In all fairness, the only time he's seen an omega in heat was while watching porn and those omegas were actors bent in lewd positions for show. </p><p>Percy isn't on his hands and knees presenting himself, though. He's curled up on his side fully clothed. In the faint light of the lamp in the corner of the tent, Frank can see a thin layer of sweat on Percy's brown skin. His breathing is heavy. </p><p>Startled, Frank realizes he can smell fear beneath Percy's pheromones. Any instinct Frank had been feeling to <em> mate</em>, <em> breed</em>, <em> fuck</em>, is immediately replaced by the need to <em> protect</em>, <em> protect</em>, <em> protect</em>.</p><p>"Percy," Frank says, voice gentle. "What's wrong?"</p><p>Percy looks up at him and both of them shudder. <em> I have seen Percy Jackson afraid too many times</em>, Frank thinks sadly. </p><p>Percy's voice is like sandpaper. "I think," he says, "I'm in heat."</p><p>Frank blinks. "Well, yeah," he says. "I'm sure anyone within a mile radius can smell you."</p><p>It's apparently the wrong thing to say because Percy closes his eyes again and presses his face down into his pillow. "I wasn't expecting it," Percy says. "Mom said omegas in our family are late bloomers. My doctor said I wouldn't have a heat for at least another year."</p><p>The new information settles over Frank like a dark cloud. Suddenly, Percy's fear makes a lot more sense. "This is your <em> first </em> heat?"</p><p>Miserably, Percy says, "I said don't judge."</p><p>"Percy, you're <em> 25</em>."</p><p>"I said <em> don't judge</em>."</p><p>Frank opens his mouth to reply, but stops when Percy drags his pillow from his head and shoves it down against his pelvis. "Does it hurt?" he asks.</p><p>Percy shakes his head. "Not really. It's just really uncomfortable. Like there's an itch somewhere I can't scratch. I tried to--" He hesitates for a moment and an expression passes over his face before he sighs. "We've gotten to know each other pretty well," he says. He makes a grand gesture at the lower half of his body. "My fingers aren't long enough, and the sleeping bag is fucking soaked."</p><p>Frank winces. "Do you want--?" he starts, stops. "Can I come in?"</p><p>Percy shakes his head, and Frank feels his stomach sink. But then Percy starts to get up. "I need air," he says.</p><p>Frank steps forward and takes Percy's hand, helping him up the rest of the way. This close, Percy smells even better. Like coconut oil and the sea. Like <em> mate</em>. Frank clears his throat, his heart loud in his ears. </p><p>Outside, Percy takes a deep breath of the humid summer air. Cicadas whine from the trees. There's something elegant about Percy's face in the light of the moon, Frank thinks. It's hard to believe that only a few days before Frank had watched him slam a sword into a monster's rib cage, his face a war mask. Frank's heart never stood a chance.</p><p>"I don't want to overstep," Frank says. But then he can't bring himself to say anything else. He reaches again for his piece of firewood. It isn't there.</p><p>Percy looks up at him. His gaze feels dangerous in the dark, heavy-lidded and focused. "How would you overstep?" he asks.</p><p>Frank takes a breath, two, three, and then says, "I can help you through your heat if you want. But I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of your situation."</p><p>Percy's eyebrows do a complicated thing. He asks, "Why would I think you're taking advantage of my situation?"</p><p>Frank could say it's because of the shitty alphas out there that make the rest of them look bad. He could say it's because of the shitty societal pressure to use penetration to get through heat cycles and ruts when there are other ways to manage the symptoms.</p><p>Instead, Frank swallows his pride and says, "Because I like you, Percy."</p><p>For the briefest of moments, Frank swears he can smell a spike in Percy's pheromones. His eyebrows do another complicated thing. And then he asks, "Just to clarify—when you say <em> like,</em> do you mean romantically? Or are we still talking about being buds here?"</p><p>Frank swallows, but he's already let the ball drop. The worst thing that can happen is rejection and that's something he's been handling his entire life. "Romantically."</p><p>To Frank's complete surprise, Percy's eyebrows relax. He smiles, a soft and wonderful thing. "Oh."</p><p>Frank isn't sure what to do with his hands. He twists his fingers. "Oh?"</p><p>"I didn't know you felt the same."</p><p>Frank nearly strains his neck with the speed at which he looks up at him. Percy's eyes are green and dark and glittering. There's no mirth in them, only honesty.</p><p><em>This</em>. Frank hadn't been expecting <em> this</em>.</p><p>"So," Percy says, "what do we do now?"</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"Well," Percy says, "we just admitted that we like each other, like, <em> romantically</em>. And," he gestured to himself, "I don't know if everyone within a mile radius can still smell me, but I'm literally dripping slick down my thighs."</p><p>The bluntness of the statement makes Frank's face burn. He pointedly doesn't look at Percy's thighs despite the fact that he's wearing jeans. He <em> can </em> smell him, though. Fortunately, any fear Percy had been feeling in the tent seems to have gone.</p><p>"I don't want you to feel pressured to say yes," Percy says, "but, well. If you want? I'd be… Well, I'd be down. If you're, y'know, down. With. <em> Things</em>. If you're not, that's cool, too. I would just need to take my sleeping bag and go, like, over in the trees or something. You have earplugs, right?"</p><p>Frank reaches out and gently touches Percy's wrist. "I'm down," he says. He can't see it, but by the way he tucks his head, Frank is pretty sure Percy's blushing.</p><p>"Just," Percy says. He turns his hand so they're palm to palm. Frank can't seem to find his breath. "No mating bites."</p><p>Frank lets out a helpless laugh. "No mating bites," he agrees.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Frank Zhang has been in many battles. He faced a horde of <em> karpoi</em>, released Thanatos from his bonds using his own life, defended Camp Jupiter in the Battle of New Rome, and set himself free from his curse in his victory against Caligula.</p><p>All of these battles, all of these victories against monsters, giants, and undead emperors, and it's going to be a son of Neptune gasping his name that's going to kill him. </p><p><em> Everything</em>, Franks thinks tragically, <em> is wet</em>.</p><p>Percy hadn't been joking about the slick on his thighs, and it only got messier once they'd both taken off their pants. Now, Percy sits in Frank's lap, his back to Frank, thighs spread over thighs. Percy left his NRU swim team hoodie on for some semblance of modesty, but it's only ended up bunched beneath his armpits.</p><p>"Frank," Percy gasps, "<em>Frank</em>."</p><p>Frank presses his teeth against the soft skin between Percy's neck and shoulder. His left arm is tight around Percy's thigh in his effort to reach back, fingers buried as deep as they can get. His right hand is a delicious circle around Percy's cock, slow and slick.</p><p>Percy's already cum twice.</p><p>He sounds not unlike how he did when he first saw the giant Polybotes years ago. But there's no giant here, and Percy is safe in Frank's arms, on his fingers.</p><p><em> On my knot</em>, Frank thinks, and he feels his fangs drop in his mouth. He presses his fingers meanly against Percy's prostate to feel him squirm, to hear him beg. Frank has a moment to think, <em> Mars help me</em>, and then he stops using his wrist and uses his arm instead to push his fingers deep against that sweet spot <em> hard </em> and <em> fast</em>.</p><p>Percy makes a <em> strangled </em> noise. His hand goes down to Frank's arm like an anchor. "I—" he starts. Frank can feel his slick pooling in his palm, around his fingers. Percy's hole spasms around his hand. And then Percy's cumming with a sob disguised as a curse.</p><p>Frank places a soft kiss against Percy's shoulder, holding him through the aftershocks. He isn't sure how much longer he'll be able to hold out, but he knows how important it is to get Percy off as many times as he can first before he finishes. An omega in heat can keep going until they're satisfied, but an alpha can only knot so many times.</p><p>Frank carefully pulls his fingers from Percy's hole and wipes them uselessly against the sleeping bag beneath them. He fumbles for Percy's water bottle off to the side. "Here," he says when Percy sags back against him. "Drink."</p><p>After Percy takes a few gulps of water, Frank helps him settle down onto his back. With his sweatshirt hiked up and his stomach covered in cum and slick, Frank almost can't look at him. He's completely debauched, and to make matters worse, the way Percy's <em> looking at him</em>—It sets his heart on fire.</p><p>Before Frank can say anything, though, Percy beats him to the punch. Breathless, Percy asks, "How are you so fucking hot?"</p><p>Frank exhales a laugh. "<em>Me</em>?" He says it as if to say <em> have you seen yourself</em>? But the word makes Percy scowl. At least, Frank <em> thinks </em> he's scowling. Children of Neptune have very brooding faces.</p><p>"Yes, <em> you</em>," Percy says. He reaches down and runs his hand up Frank's thigh. The reverence in his touch, in his face, makes Frank shudder. "You're something special, Frank. I wouldn't want to spend my heat with anyone else."</p><p>Frank swallows.</p><p>"Come here," Percy says.</p><p>So he does. Frank lays beside him and lets Percy run his hands over his arms, his chest, the folds of his back, the slope of his belly, all the while pressing his forehead to Frank's forehead, his nose to Frank's nose, his gaze fierce and solid and electric.</p><p>It's no coincidence, Frank thinks, that Perseus means <em>to destroy</em>.</p><p>They stay like that for a while, hands on bodies like quiet confessions, until their touches become more urgent and Percy's whispers become pleas. Frank repositions himself so he's between Percy's thighs and it seems like the world is on pause.</p><p>Frank breathes.</p><p>The cicadas are almost loud enough to cover the sound of Percy's gasp as he pushes inside. Frank has to close his eyes. It's tighter than he expected, hotter than he expected, <em>wetter</em> than he expected. His voice shakes when he says Percy's name.</p><p>Percy reaches for his hand, lacing their fingers together over his chest. He's biting his lip, eyebrows scrunched together, like he doesn't want to make any noise, like he doesn't want anyone to hear him.</p><p>While there may not be anyone camping nearby, Frank knows that monsters could be lurking anywhere and, really, Percy's doing the smart thing by keeping quiet. But in the heat of the moment, with Percy's pheromones filling the tent and Frank's knot building and the relief of knowing that his feelings for Percy are acknowledged, understood, <em>reciprocated</em>, Frank tugs his fingers away from Percy's hand to grab onto his bunched-up hoodie like the handle on a rowing machine and—</p><p>"Oh, <em>fuck</em>!" Percy cries.</p><p>"<em>Yeah</em>," Frank says. His thrusts are hard enough that the sounds they're making are inescapable. At some point, Percy covers his face and cums again. Frank fucks him right through it. His fangs start to feel too big for his mouth and by the time his knot starts swelling, by the time his cock starts to snag on the rim of Percy's hole, Frank realizes his hands are hairier than normal and his nails are longer than normal and <em> shit, shit, shit</em>—</p><p>Fortunately, Percy still has his eyes covered when Frank bottoms out inside him, completely unaware in his heat haze that Frank hadn't been that big <em> before</em>. It takes a moment before either of them can speak for two completely different reasons.</p><p>"<em>Wow</em>," Percy says, still gasping for breath.</p><p>"Wow," Frank agrees. He lets go of Percy's sweatshirt. It's shredded where his hands were. "Um," he says, wincing, "sorry."</p><p>Percy lets his hands drop from his face. He looks blissed out. "Mm."</p><p>His reaction actually makes Frank laugh. "Was it, uh, really that good?"</p><p>"It wasn't for you?" Percy asks. He closes his eyes again, a sated smile on his face.</p><p>Frank's heart trips over itself. "I didn't say that." He looks down to where they're tied together. For a moment, he's tempted to reach down and press on the sensitive skin there, to feel his own knot inside of Percy, but he doesn't want to accidentally get Percy hot and heavy again. He's not sure if he can survive another round.</p><p>Carefully, Frank settles himself down on top of Percy, holding himself up a little on his elbows so they can see each other. "Feeling any better?" he asks.</p><p>Percy smiles, looking down at him. Frank would raze cities and fight titans for that smile. "<em>Loads</em>," he says. He shifts his hips, making both of them groan, to wrap his legs around Frank's waist. "Thank you."</p><p>"That's what friends are for," Frank says. And then cringes. <em>Hard</em>. "Wait—"</p><p>Percy's smile is frozen on his face, but his eyes are <em>appalled</em>. "Did you just <em>friendzone</em> me?"</p><p>"Wait, wait—"</p><p>"You are <em> knotted </em> in my <em> ass </em> and you just—"</p><p>"<em>Wait</em>," Frank laughs.</p><p>"—<em>friendzoned<em>—Get out of me. Knot revoked. I want my heat back." But Percy's laughing, too, and his thighs are still firmly wrapped around Frank's waist.</em></em></p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>"To be fair," Frank says, placing a kiss on Percy's chest, "you <em>are</em> my friend. That doesn't change just because we have."</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>Percy buries his face in Frank's hair. "Sappy."</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>"I mean it." Frank moves his head so they're eye to eye. "I like you. In every way." He remembers the first time he had felt awed by Percy, when he had refused to take a vial that might heal his memory in case someone else needed it more. He's been in awe of him ever since—this selfless, ferocious, compassionate creature who has fought giants and titans, who has held the weight of the sky on his shoulders, who has battled his way through Tartarus.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>After everything they've done tonight, it seems incredible when Frank pushes himself up and presses their lips together that this is their first real kiss. Percy makes a soft, surprised sound. He brings his arms up to wrap around Frank's shoulders and it's like the heart of the sea in both of their bodies is beating in sync. It's perfect, perfect, perfect.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>They fall asleep to the whine of the cicadas, and if Venus' goblet magically appears in Frank's sleeping bag later that night, well. That's nobody's business but the gods'.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoyed reading this, be sure to let me know in the comments! ✌<br/>Check out my Tumblr over at @enbyofdionysos</p></blockquote></div></div>
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